Can filling apparatus



April 26, 1932.

H. HOFFMEISTER CAN FILLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 8, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 1Inventor, Fans .30 7

mister,

liar/ac April 26, 1932. H. HOFFMEISTER 1,855,675

I CAN FILLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 8, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A ril 26,1932.

\ cAN FILLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 8, 1931 H. HOFFMEISTER 3 Sheets-Sheet3 Patented Apr. 26, 1932 UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE ms HOFFIEISTEB, OIBBUNSWIGK, GERMANY, ABBIGNOB TO HANNA-(EMA 301T- KEISTEB, KAIDEN' NAMEI)! VBIES, OI BRUNSWICK, GERMANY cm mums Arman-rue i lmuon fled Augusta, 1931, Serial No.

My invention relates to improvements in can filling ap aratus and moreparticularly in apparatus or fillin stem-shaped material such asasparagus, an the obJect of the 1mprovements is to provide an apparatusby means of which the said material, and more particularly asparagus,may be placed into cans without being injured by the pressure of thefeeding device. With this object in view my invention consists inproviding a filling device com risin a plurality of gripping members asato to be successive y opened and remove from the material containedtherein for placing the same into the can.

For the purpose of explaining the invention an example embodying thesame has been shown in the accompanying drawings, in which the sameletters of reference have been used in all the views to indicatecorresponding parts. In said drawings,

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the apparatus,

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3 andshowing the mechanism for operating the rippmg members and the plate fordetermining the position of the material at its rear en Fig. 3 is asectional elevation taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a detail View.

In the example shown in the drawings the apparatus comprises a framecomposed of uprights 1 and a top plate 2. The said top plate is madeintegral with two blocks 3 each formed with two vertical bores providingguides for plungers 3 formed at their top ends with pairs of eyes 4. Onpivot bolts 5 mounted in the pairs of eyes grippers 6 are rockinglymounted, each of which comprises two semi-circular arms 6 and 6 When thesaid grippers are closed they provide circular rings the inner, diameterof which is slightly smaller than that of the can. The plunger 3 areacted upon by springs (tending to pull the same downwardly. Each arm 6and 6 of the grippers 6 is connected by a link 8 with a bell crank lever9 and 14 respectively loosely mounted on an axis 10, 11 mounted inbrackets 12, 13 depending from the plate 2. The hubs 9 of the bell crank556,998, and in Germany August 28, 1930.

levers 9 are made integral with crank arms 15 having anti-frictionrollers 16 mounted thereon, the said rollers 16 bearing on thecircumferences of cam disks 18, 18, 18, 18 spaced from each other inaccordance with the distances between the bell crank levers 9 and keyedto a shaft 19 mounted on the brackets 12, 13. Springs 17 connectedrespectively to the frame land to the bell crank levers 9 tend to holdthe rollers 16 in engagement with the cam disks 18, 18 18 18 At theirleading ends the cam faces 'of the cam disks 18, 18 18, 18 are locatedone behind the other in the direction of the axis of the shaft 19, whilethe circumferential lengths of the cam faces are successively enlargedfrom one end to the other. The free arms 9 14 of the bell crank levers9, 14 are connected with each other by links 20, so that the levers 14are carried along when the bell crank levers 9 are rocked,- by means ofthe cam disks 18, 18 1s=, 18.

At the rear of the gripping members 6, viewed in the, direction of thearrow m shown in Fig. 3, a block rises from the plate 2 of the frame,which block is formed with two eyes 60 in which a gripper 21 comprisingtwo arms 21 and 21 is rockingly mounted, the arms 21 and 21 being madeinte al with semi-circular walls 22 which, w en viewed in the directionof the movement of the can being filled or from the left in Fig. 3,slightly project from the flanges 23 of the arms 21 21 and which rovidean abutment for the material held b t e grippers and preventlongitudinal dispihcement thereof. The gripping. member 21 is operatedfrom a cam disk 18* secured to the shaft 19. The flanges 23 of the arms21, 21 are provided for arresting the can advancing in the direction ofthe arow as shown in Fig. 3. The outer diameter of the arms 21, 21 ofthe last gripping member 21 is, in the closed position of the grippingmember, smaller than the inner diameter of the can. The length of theapparatus between the front plate 24 and the flange 23 of the lastgripping member 21 corresponds to the depth of the can being filled. Inorder that the material to be filled into the can, such for example asasparagus, be placed between the open gripping members so that the endsare located at both sides in planes, before the first and behind thelastgripping members end plates 24 and 25 respectively are provided. Theend plate 24 located at the left hand side of the apparatus is rockinglymounted on a ivot bolt 26 disposed in bearings 27 rising rom the plate2, and it is connected by a llnk 28 with a crank arm 30 keyed to a shaft29 mounted on a bearing block 31 secured to the plate 2. The said shaftcarries a bell crank lever 32 one arm of which is connected by a link 61with one arm of a lever 34 loosely mounted on the shaft 10 and having aroller 35 mounted on the other arm 34*, the said roller bearing on a camdisk 36 "secured to the shaft 19. The other arm 32 of the bell cranklever 32 is connected by a link 37 with the rear late 25, which plate isuided by means of two rods 38 and 39 in i'ores of two eyes 40, 41carried by the block 31. I

The shaft 19 on which the cam disks 18, 18 18 18, 18, 36 are mountedcarries at its front end a ratchet wheel 42 enga ed by a latch 44mounted on the block 12 and acted upon by a spring 43. Further, on thesaid aft an operating lever 45 is loosely mounted which has a pawl 47acted'upon by a spring 46 and engaging in the teeth of the ratchet wheel42 mounted on one arm.v The opposite arm of the said lever 45 isconnected by a link 48 with a pedal lever 50 supported by a spring 49.Adjustable stops such as screws 51 and 52 are located in position forengagement with the block 12 of the machine, and they are adapted to beadjusted in position for varying the rocking movement of the ratchetmechanism 45, 47, 48, 50.

If it is desired to fill for example asparagus into a can, the desiredamount of the said asparagus is placed, by hand or by suitablemechanism, into the grippers 6 and 21 which before have been opened.While the material is thus placed into the gripping members the endplate 24 is set in the elevated position shown in Fig. 3 in brokenlines, and the plate 25 is located in the plane of the plates 22 of thegripping member 21. After the material has thus been placed into thegripping members the pedal lever 50 is rocked downwardly, so that thelink 48 imparts rocking movement to the lever 45 on the shaft 19. Nowthe pawl 47 of the lever 45 advances the ratchet wheel 42 in clockwisedirection through an angle corresponding to the distance between twoconsecutive teeth, until the pawl 44 engages at the rear of the nexttooth of the wheel 42 and thus locks the said wheel against being turnedrearwardly. The

rocking movement of the lever 45 and the rotary movement of the wheel 42are limited by the stop 52 engaging the block 12. By the rotary movementof the wheel 42 the shaft 19 and all the cam disks 18, 18 18, 18, 18

and 36 carried thereby are rocked through an angle corresponding to thesaid distance between consecutive teeth of the wheel 42. The leading camfaces of the cam disks 18, 18 18, 18 first rock outwardly the crank arms15, and thereafter the cam disks 18 and 36 rock outwardly the last crankarms 18 and 34 respectively. The bell crank levers 9 and the bel cranklevers 14 connected therewith by the links 20 are rocked in a directionfor closing the gripping members 6 and 21 through the intermediary ofthe link 8, the springs 7 being put under tension and the plungers 3moved upwardly. Simultaneously by the movement of the lever 34 the bellcrank lever 32 and the shaft 29 are rocked through the intermediary ofthe link 61, the said shaft 29 moving the end plate 24 into the positionshown in full lines and shifting the end plate 25 from the plane of theflanges 23 rearwardly or to the right in Fi 3.

Now the can to be lilled is placed on the ends of the asparagus whichslightly project from the first gripping member 6, and it is moved inthe direction of the arrow 2:, shown in Fig. 3 until it engages thefirst gripping member. Now the first gripping member 6 is opened byagain depressing the pedal lever 50 and imparting a second intermittentmovement to the ratchet wheel 42, the roller 16 of the crank arm 15 ofthe first gripping member 6 rolling inwardly from the cam face 18. Nowthe first s rin 17 pulls the said crank arm and the rst ell crank levers8, 14 into initial positions, thus opening the first gripping member 6.Since the circumferential cam faces of the following cam disks 18 18',18, 18 and that of the disk 36 are larger than that of the first disk,the parts controlled thereby remain in position during the second stepof the rocking movement of the ratchet wheel '42. Now the can is furtheradvanced to the right until it engages the next gripper. In a similarway the pedal lever 50 is again moved three times for imparting a third,fourth and fifth intermittent movement to the ratchet wheel 42 andreturning the crank arms 15 and the parts of the second, third andfourth gripping members 6 into initial positions, the can beingintermittently advanced from one gripping member to the next one, untilits right hand margin engages the flange 23 of the gripping member 21,which is still closed. If now the pedal lever 50 is operated a sixthtime also the gripping member 21 is opened after the can had first beenremoved. During the last downward movement of the pedal lever 50 theroller 35 of the lever 34 releases the descending portion of the camface of its cam disk 36, and the end plates 24, 25 are again set intothe initial positions for limiting the space included between thegripping members at its ends. When the gripping members 6 are opened theplungers 3 and the grip ing members 6 are forced downwardly y t e spring7, so that the can may be advanced without engaging, with its frontmargin, the gripping members or the heads of the plungers.

Now the filling of the can has been completed, and the apparatus hasbeen returned into initial positlon in which a new supply of asparagusmay be placed between the gnppers.

While in describing the invention reference has been made to aparticular example embodying the same I wish it to be understood that myinvention is not limited to the construction shown in the drawings, andthat various changes may be made in the general arrangement of theapparatus and the construction of its parts without departing from theinvention. For example I do not limit myself to the mechanism such asthe pedal lever 50 for driving the apparatus by human power. In somecases power operated mechanism may be provided. Further, I do not limitmyself to the construction of the ratchet wheel 42 provided with sixteeth. The said number may be smaller or larger, in which case thecircumferential faces of the cam disks are shaped accordingly.

I claim:

. '1. The herein described apparatus for filling elongated bodies intocans, comprising a plurality of gripping members adapted to hold thebodies, and means to remove said gripping members from said bodiessuccessively from one end to the other.

2. The herein described apparatus for filling elongated bodies intocans, comprising a plurality of gripping members each comprising tworockingly mounted arms adapted to hold the bodies, and means to rock thearms of said gripping members away from said bodies successively fromone end thereof to the other.

3. The herein described apparatus for filling elongated bodies intocans, comprising a plurality of gripping members each comprising tworockingly mounted arms adapted to hold the bodies. gearings intermediatethe arms of each gripping member insuring simultaneous movement of saidarms, and cams one for each of said gripping members constructed forremoving said arms away from said bodies successively from one end tothe other.

4. The herein described apparatus for filling elongated bodies intocans, comprising a plurality of gripping members each comprising tworockingly mounted arms adapted to hold the bodies, gearings intermediatethe arms of each gripping member insuring simultaneous movement of saidarms, and cams one of each of said gripping members constructed forremoving said arms away from said bodies successively from one end tothe other and for simultaneously moving the same towards said bodies.

5. The herein described apparatus for filling elongated bodies intocans, comprising a plurality of gripping members each compris- 1n tworockingly mounted arms adapted to ho d the bodies, gearings intermediatethe arms of each gripping member insuring simultaneous movement of saidarms, cams one for each of said gripping members constructed forremoving said arms away from said bodies successively from one end tothe other and for simultaneously moving the same towards said bodies, ashaft to which said cams are secured, and pawl and ratchet mechanism forintermittently rotating said shaft.

6. The herein described apparatus for filling elongated bodies intocans, comprising a plurality of gripping members adapted to hold thebodies, means for removing said gripping members from said bodiessuccessively from one end to the other, end plates provided at oppositeends of said gripping members, and means for moving said end platestowards and away from said gripping members.

7. The herein described apparatus for filling elongated bodies intocans, comprising a plurality of gripping members each compris- 1ng tworockingly mounted arms adapted to hold the bodies, gearings intermediatethe arms of each gripping member insuring simultaneous movement of saidarms, cams one for each of said gripping members constructed forremoving said arms away from said bodies successively from one end tothe other and for simultaneously moving the same towards said bodies,end plates provided at opposite ends of said gripping members, a cam andgearing controlled thereb formoving said end plates away from saigripping members, a shaft to which all of said cams are secured, andpawl and ratchet mechanism for intermittently rotating said shaft.

8. The herein described apparatus for filling elongated bodies intocans, comprising a plurality of gripping members each comprising tworockingly mounted arms adapted to hold the bodies, and means for rockingthe arms of said gripping members awa from said bodies successively fromone en thereof to the other, the arms of the gripping members which areadapted to be last moved away from said bodies being formed with platesand a flange providing stops respec-- tively for the bodies placed intothe gripping members and the margin of the can to be filled.

9. The herein described apparatus for fil ing elongated bodies intocans, comprising a frame, a plurality of bodily movable parallelgrippers each comprising a pair of rockable arms, a gripper at one endof said first-named grippers comprising a pair of rockable arms eachconnected with a plate and a flange and III rockinglysupported onstationary pivot bolts, means for bodily moving said firstnamed grippersand opening all of said pers successively from the end remote thegripper connected with lates towards said gr1 per connected with p ates.

10. The herein described apparatus for filling elongated bodies intocans, comprising a frame, a lurality of parallel spring-pressed plungersisposed with their axes in a plane, gri pers each comprisin a pair ofarms rocfimgly mounted on sai plungers, a gripper at one end of saidfirst-named grippers comprisin a pair of rockable arms each connectedwit a plate and a flange and rockingly supported on stationary pivotbolts, means for opening said grippers successive 1y from the end remotefrom the gripper connected with plates towards said gripper connectedwith plates and for moving said plungers in opposition to the springsacting thereon.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

HANS HOFFMEISTER.

emon

